| Hardware, editions and installation |
|---|
| Current release | Official | The installation and download pages we read show openHAB 5.2.4 as stable and describe the Stable channel as the latest official release from GitHub, recommended for new users. The docs version menu also lists a Latest 5.3.0 entry. A separate Snapshot channel offers daily builds. openHAB 5 needs a 64-bit OS and Java 21. | openHAB installation overview openHAB download page |
|---|
| Manual setup (zip) | Official | A platform-independent zip archive for Linux, macOS and Windows. The download page says to unpack the runtime ZIP, optionally add the add-ons archive and run start.sh. Java 21 is required: the page names the distribution OpenJDK package first, then Eclipse Temurin JDK 21 or Azul Zulu JDK 21, and says Oracle Java works on most configurations but is not recommended because of licensing. | openHAB installation overview openHAB download page |
|---|
| Package setup (apt, yum) | Official | Packages for certain Linux distributions such as Debian and Ubuntu derivatives. The installation page recommends this option for automatic updates. For a Raspberry Pi, the download page strongly recommends the complete OS image rather than apt. | openHAB installation overview openHAB download page |
|---|
| openHABian | Official | A self-configuring Linux system for running openHAB around the clock, delivered as a Raspberry Pi image based on Raspberry Pi OS Lite, plus a configuration tool for Debian systems. It adds headless setup over Ethernet or Wi-Fi with hotspot fallback, Samba shares and ZRAM. The docs say it supports all Raspberry Pi models and recommend a model 4 or 5 with 2 or 4 GB of RAM. On x86 hardware you install Debian yourself, and Ubuntu is stated as not supported and untested. Installation can use the Raspberry Pi Imager. | openHABian docs (GitHub) openHAB download page |
|---|
| Docker | Official | The official openhab/openhab image on Docker Hub, tagged by version and by a Debian or Alpine base. The docs warn that the Exec binding is likely useless in a container, USB devices are not available by default, and UPnP discovery needs host networking. A mapped userdata folder is backed up and upgraded automatically when the image version changes. The Matter binding page separately warns that Docker, VLANs and subnets can block Matter if IPv6 is misconfigured. | openHAB Docker docs Matter binding |
|---|
| Other installs named in the docs menu | Unconfirmed | The installation page lists Synology DiskStation, Armbian and OpenBSD as links in its menu but gives no details on that page, so those routes were not verified. | openHAB installation overview |
|---|
| Recommended hardware | Official | For regular use the installation page recommends a dedicated Raspberry Pi 4 or newer with openHABian, on Ethernet, with room for extras such as an MQTT broker. It gives no minimum CPU, RAM or storage figures. Beginners may also use a local PC or Mac. | openHAB installation overview |
|---|
| openHAB Cloud (myopenHAB) | Official | Remote access, push notifications and the Alexa and Google routes run through an openHAB Cloud instance. myopenHAB is the instance hosted by the openHAB Foundation e.V. Its page says the service is completely free, mainly a demonstrator that may be used in production, with no SLAs. The cloud can also be self-hosted by changing the base URL in the connector. Alexa and Google pages describe myopenHAB as required for those skills. | openHAB Cloud Connector myopenHAB |
|---|
| Governance and legal home | Official | The site imprint names openHAB Foundation e.V. as operator, with an address in Ober-Ramstadt and Register of Associations Darmstadt 83855. The page cites German statutes but does not name the country in words. The foundation's about page calls it a registered non-profit organization. | openHAB imprint openHAB Foundation about |
|---|
| Protocols and ecosystems |
|---|
| Wi-Fi | Unconfirmed | No official page we read presents Wi-Fi as a protocol of its own. Network-connected devices are added through brand or generic bindings, and openHABian can use Wi-Fi to connect the host itself. | openHABian docs (GitHub) |
|---|
| Bluetooth | Yes | The Bluetooth binding works through adapter bundles. The page names the BlueGiga and BlueZ adapters and says the BlueZ bridge for Linux is the best choice for single-board computers such as the Raspberry Pi. The core binding page lists only a beacon thing type, and Windows and macOS are not mentioned on it. | Bluetooth binding |
|---|
| Zigbee | Yes | The ZigBee binding supports many USB and network coordinators, mostly Ember-based. The page names examples such as the SLZB-06M, Sonoff ZBDongle-E, Aeotec Zi-Stick and Home Assistant SkyConnect, and notes caveats (for example the CC2531 is not recommended for new systems). It makes no formal Zigbee certification claim. | ZigBee binding |
|---|
| Z-Wave | Yes | The ZWave binding uses a serial Z-Wave stick and states 700-series controllers are fully supported as of openHAB 4.1, while 800-series sticks work with classic inclusion but not Long Range. As shown on the page we read (no date on the page) it lists 802 devices from 114 manufacturers. A separate Z-Wave JS binding connects to an existing Z-Wave JS server instead. | ZWave binding Z-Wave JS binding |
|---|
| Thread | Unconfirmed | openHAB does not run a Thread network by itself. The Matter binding page says Thread devices need a border router and a Bluetooth-capable device to join, recommends pairing first through a commercial Thread router, and says OpenThread Border Router support will be coming soon to openHAB. | Matter binding |
|---|
| Matter | Yes | The Matter binding can act as a controller, discovering and controlling Matter devices, and as a bridge that exposes openHAB Items to other Matter clients such as Apple Home, Amazon and Google Home. The two functions work independently. The page states support for Matter specification 1.5.1 and earlier, and that it uses matter.js and needs Node.js 22 or later, downloaded automatically when missing, except on Alpine and older Linux. The 5.0 post says the bridge uses an uncertified development certificate. | Matter binding openHAB 5.0 release post |
|---|
| 433 MHz | Yes | The RFXCOM binding supports RFXtrx433E and RFXtrx315 transceivers and the RFXrec433 receiver, with protocols such as HomeEasy, X10, La Crosse and Oregon. | RFXCOM binding |
|---|
| Infrared, 868 MHz | Unconfirmed | Not verified. A search for an official infrared binding page could not be completed, so no infrared or 868 MHz claim is made. | Searched, no source |
|---|
| MQTT | Yes | The MQTT binding connects openHAB as a client to a broker (it does not act as a broker) and maps topics to Things and Channels. Page-stated options include MQTT V3 and V5, TLS, Homie discovery and discovery of devices that use Home Assistant MQTT Discovery. The docs list limits for that discovery, such as Climate not yet supported. | MQTT binding |
|---|
| KNX | Yes | The KNX binding works through an Ethernet gateway in tunnel or router mode, through a serial gateway, or through a knxd instance. The page says KNX Secure support is partially implemented, with secure tunneling described as stable. | KNX binding |
|---|
| Modbus | Yes | The Modbus binding supports Modbus TCP and serial slave devices (RTU, ASCII and BIN variants), plus Modbus over TCP/IP. It acts as a master only and does not act as a slave. | Modbus binding |
|---|
| Amazon Alexa | Official | An openHAB skill for Alexa that the docs call a certified Amazon Smart Home Skill. It relies on the cloud connector configured through myopenHAB and on Alexa metadata on each Item. The myopenHAB page still says the Echo integration only works with openHAB 2, which conflicts with the current docs page, so that wording appears out of date. We could not confirm local control, and the Alexa page does not address it. | Alexa skill docs myopenHAB Alexa Skills store |
|---|
| Google Assistant / Google Home | Official | The Google Assistant Action links openHAB through the myopenHAB cloud service and needs the cloud connector, a Google account and a Google Home or Nest device or Assistant on a phone. The page refers to release v5.1.0 dated 2026-03-21 and warns the Google Home app may not fully support some device types. The myopenHAB page repeats an openHAB 2 limitation that looks out of date. Local fulfillment was not confirmed. | Google Assistant Action docs myopenHAB |
|---|
| Apple Home | Yes | The HomeKit add-on exports openHAB Items to Apple Home as a bridge, paired by QR code or PIN, and relies on mDNS on the local network. The page lists 35 accessory types and notes a 150-accessory HomeKit limit per bridge, so multiple bridge instances are supported. Apple Home can also reach Items through the Matter bridge. | HomeKit add-on Matter binding Apple Home accessories list |
|---|
| IFTTT | Unconfirmed | Selected Items can be pushed to the cloud for services like IFTTT. The connector page says this is not supported on the community-hosted myopenHAB service because of high load concerns, while the myopenHAB page describes an IFTTT channel. The two pages disagree, so the status on myopenHAB is unclear. | openHAB Cloud Connector myopenHAB |
|---|
| Philips Hue, SmartThings and other brands | Unconfirmed | These were not checked on official openHAB pages, so no claim is made about them. We also did not verify a total number of bindings, because the add-ons page does not state one. | openHAB add-ons list |
|---|
| Apps, integrations and developer access |
|---|
| Main UI | Yes | Main UI is the graphical interface for settings, Items, Things and rules and for building pages. The configuration page says it replaced Paper UI and HABmin, which are no longer supported. | Configuration docs |
|---|
| HABPanel | Unconfirmed | The HABPanel page we read has no deprecation notice and says it is installed by default with any initial setup package. We did not find an official statement on its long-term status. | HABPanel docs |
|---|
| Mobile apps | Official | Official iOS and Android apps are described in the apps section above and on the openHAB docs pages. | iOS app docs Android app docs |
|---|
| Rules: UI, Rules DSL, Blockly | Yes | Rules can be created in the UI, in Rules DSL (a built-in engine based on Xbase) or in Blockly, which the docs describe as a visual option suited to beginners. Advanced users can also write rule files and use JSR223 scripting. | Rules DSL docs Configuration docs |
|---|
| Rules: JavaScript | Yes | The JavaScript Scripting add-on is based on GraalJS and supports ECMAScript 2025+. UI rules use a Script Action with Inline Script set to ECMAScript 262 Edition 11 or higher, and the add-on injects the openhab-js library. JRuby, Groovy and Python were not verified. | JavaScript Scripting add-on |
|---|
| REST API | Official | The REST API is served under /rest/ on the openHAB host, for example /rest/items. It supports API tokens (recommended) or basic authentication, and event subscriptions at /rest/events. API documentation is reached through the dashboard or the API Explorer under Developer Tools. By default anyone on the LAN has user-level access. | REST API docs |
|---|
| Add-on store and marketplace | Official | Main UI has an Add-on Store covering bindings, automation, user interfaces and other add-ons. It lists official add-ons from the distribution and community add-ons from the Community Marketplace. No add-on count is claimed, because the add-ons page we read states none. | Add-on Store docs openHAB add-ons list |
|---|
| Release cadence | Official | The release blog shows roughly two releases a year, one in July and one in December: 4.0 on 23 Jul 2023, 4.1 on 22 Dec 2023, 4.2 on 7 Jul 2024, 4.3 on 15 Dec 2024, 5.0 on 21 Jul 2025, 5.1 on 22 Dec 2025 and 5.2 on 5 Jul 2026. The page states no schedule commitment, so this is an observed pattern. | openHAB blog |
|---|
| Home Assistant | Unconfirmed | openHAB has a Home Assistant binding that configures devices announced through Home Assistant MQTT Discovery. That is a discovery format over MQTT, not a general link to a Home Assistant installation. We found no official openHAB page comparing the two platforms. | Home Assistant binding |
|---|
| Homey | Unconfirmed | No official openHAB page about Homey was found or checked, so no claim is made. | Searched, no source |
|---|